S312 Prescribed Remedy
by ZenosParadox
Summary: RS. Hoshi has a remedy for Malcolm, but finds he has one for her as well. Coda for Chosen Realm, Episode 12, Season 3. Mild spoilers.


Title: S312 Prescribed Remedy Author: ZenosParadox Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: RS. Hoshi has a remedy for Malcolm, but finds he has one for her as well. Coda for Chosen Realm, Episode 12, Season 3. Mild spoilers.  
  
Notes: 3 pages. Written January 16, 2004. Disclaimer: The Enterprise characters belong to Paramount. This fiction was written solely for personal enjoyment.  
  
PRESCRIBED REMEDY  
  
Hoshi Sato strode with true purpose. She had felt completely useless as the Trianons had commandeered the ship, but now she was filled with a sense of accomplishment. She met the perfect qualifications for this task: she could match anyone on Enterprise for stubbornness, even their Armory Officer.  
  
Sato rapped sharply on the door once she reached her destination. She had considered bringing a phase pistol in case she was met with resistance, but in light of the recent shoot-out, didn't want to raise alarms. No, if she had to go hand-to-hand, then she would prevail.  
  
The Lieutenant barely opened the door before Sato burst through and demanded, "Strip, NOW, Lieutenant."  
  
"Ensign, you are way out of line," retorted Reed sternly as he crossed his arms over his chest. He knew her purpose, but stubbornly refused to give in.  
  
Sato was unperturbed. She flipped the tube of ointment in her hand, catching it deftly. Using the container to point at Reed, she said, "For your information, Doctor Phlox made me his medical deputy, which means in medical situations I carry the authority."  
  
"He can't deputize--"  
  
"Captain Archer just authorized it."  
  
Reed looked at the smug smile as Sato relayed this information. Blast! She was one step ahead of him. Who the hell had been teaching her tactics? Oh, right, well, he'd have to put a stop to that.   
  
"I have the right to refuse medical attention, so leave."  
  
"I thought that's what you'd say."  
  
WHOP! THUNK!  
  
Reed now sat on the floor with the Ensign looming above him. Damn she was fast! Who the hell had been teaching her to fight? Of course, he soon realized the situation was of his own making. He vowed to put a stop to that, too.  
  
"I didn't realize medical attention meant beating your patient to the floor," grumbled Reed as he leaned his body on his elbows.  
  
"It's not normal procedure, but Phlox said he'd make an exception in your case."  
  
"He has an interesting set of medical ethics," mumbled Reed as he winced while trying to rise.  
  
"Now are you ready to cooperate?" Sato had a triumphant smile on her face as offered the Lieutenant a hand up.   
  
Reed considered some very ungentlemanly tactics he could employ, but the encounter with Sato had accentuated the pain from his bruises. He accepted the hoist up and ignored how soft, but strong, her hand was. He merely sighed in resignation before removing his t-shirt. He had just gotten out of the shower and dressed casually when Sato had appeared.  
  
"I hope you won the fight," said Sato as she inspected his back.   
  
"I was the one still standing." Reed sounded a bit miffed that Sato would doubt the outcome.  
  
"I mean, you're not some big brute who can pound someone senseless," continued Sato as she ministered to the bruises she now saw on his jaw.  
  
"Haven't you heard that size doesn't matter?" retorted Reed. Sato had merely to quirk an eyebrow to get him to blush and stammer, "I-I mean in fighting, not in, uh, but, because it doesn't matter then, either, so--oh, never mind."  
  
Sato bit back a smile and tapped the edge of his nose with the last of the ointment. The Lieutenant was quite adorable when he let his guard down. He'd been so serious of late that she was delighting in throwing him off his equilibrium. "All done. You can thank me now, Lieutenant."  
  
"I'm having a long talk with Phlox about this medical deputy business," muttered Reed as he pulled on his t-shirt.  
  
"Fine, but for now you can have a long talk with me and tell me what I missed."   
  
Sato walked to the small couch and sat down. She frowned and didn't hide the disappointment in her face as she said, "I wasn't released from my quarters until an hour after all the Trianons were secured. I felt so useless."  
  
Malcolm observed the way Hoshi steepled her fingers. It appeared that she needed some attention, too. He sat by her and said, "Not useless, but valuable."  
  
Hoshi immediately scoffed saying, "Yeah, right."  
  
"Hoshi, look at me," said Malcolm firmly. He knew she would not ignore his directive. When he had her full attention, he patiently explained. "Phlox wasn't certain how long his trick would work in dampening the spontaneous combustion the Trianons could induce. We didn't release any but essential personnel until the Doctor concocted another batch to neutralize the organic combustion. We also had to sweep the ship for hidden bombs or any number of booby traps the Trianons could have planted."  
  
"I know I'm being childish, Malcolm, but I don't like feeling like, like Non-essential Personnel," said Hoshi. "I came on this mission because I was finally confident I could be more than just a translator. I thought I could hold my own."  
  
"And you've shown that you can, Hoshi. You were the one who dealt with Tarquin; you were all alone on that one. And the Captain values what you've been doing with the Xindi translations. In fact, since D'Jamat erased the data--"  
  
"WHAT!"  
  
"Calm down, he didn't get to all the back-up systems."  
  
"It's going to take some time to re-construct. I had made a lot of progress since the last back-up." Sato stood up quickly, "Why didn't anyone tell me? I should be working on it right now. I've got to go, Malcolm."  
  
"Hoshi, wait. Look, T'Pol has some work to do on the system before you can use it. D"Jamat pulled some tricky maneuvers to access the data in the first place. I'm sure she'll tell you when she's ready. Besides, I thought you wanted to hear the rest of the story?"  
  
"All right. Speak." Hoshi took her position on the couch again, truly curious about the details of taking back the Enterprise.  
  
"Well, let's see. We all heard about the Captain's sacrifice, but I had hope of recovering him somehow since T'Pol announced his molecules had been disassembled. I'm thinking they pulled a trick with the transporter. So, here I was, sitting at my couch when the door opens. And as I sit here, I'm thinking to myself, please don't let it be Hoshi."  
  
She thumped him hard before she realized she had just pounded his injured shoulder.  
  
"OUCH!"  
  
"Oh, I'm sor--, actually, you deserved that, Malcolm Reed. What were you thinking? That I'd show up naked?"   
  
His blush was all the answer she needed and as she considered their past history, she looked at him and they both began laughing. Indeed, it was the best medicine for both bruised bodies and egos.  
  
*****  
  
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